


Generation of Royals

by Pinepickled



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akashi being Akashi, Alpha Gom, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dorks, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Hugs, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kagami Taiga Being an Idiot, Kuroko Tetsuya is a Little Shit, M/M, Magical Tattoos, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Maybe Kids?, Multi, My First Fanfic, Nijimura Shuuzou is a Mom, They would all fall for updog, a/b/o dynamics, no editing thats just how the cookie crumbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-02-16 08:56:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21505264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinepickled/pseuds/Pinepickled
Summary: What if the Generation of Miracles had a kingdom?  What if they weren't (as) emotionally constipated?  What if Akashi was less Like That?  Join Kagami as he meets the Generation of Royals and somehow reaches peak dumbass!
Relationships: Aida Riko & Hyuuga Junpei & Kiyoshi Teppei, Aida Riko/Momoi Satsuki, Akashi Seijuurou/Furihata Kouki, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya, Aomine Daiki/Kagami Taiga, Hayama Kotarou/Izuki Shun, Himuro Tatsuya/Murasakibara Atsushi, Hyuuga Junpei/Kiyoshi Teppei, Kasamatsu Yukio/Kise Ryouta, Midorima Shintarou/Takao Kazunari
Comments: 31
Kudos: 114





	1. Kagami meets Kuroko

Kagami loved the market, especially in the dead of night, when most regular shops had closed. At around 2 am, the eerie voodoo shops would open, the tattoo place with tattoos that weren't quite right opened its doors, and the old baker, Nijimura, offered freshly baked goods to those still around. 

  


Kagami quickened his walking pace, not wanting to stay out in the cold too long. Of course it had to be freezing the one day he forgot his jacket. Most people like to get smart and say that Alpha's generally run hot and have a resistance to cold. Seriously, people should stop relying on their eyes so much, or else they would know Kagami was not an Alpha. Kagami spotted the little hole in the wall and burst through the door, causing nearly the entire shop to rattle and Nijimura to run out of the kitchen.

  


The bakery itself was cozy. Gigantic bean bags were placed near low coffee tables, the walls were painted a warm yellow with menus on the walls, and there was a large fireplace to top it all off. There was a bar near the register with stools, which Nijimura began tugging Kagami towards, ranting all the while.

“Kagami, do you want my shop to collapse? Do you not want any more free bread? Every time you walk through that door you slam it open! Give my poor old face worry lines because I think someone’s here to rob me.”

  


“You’re 25, you’re not old. And why are you worrying about robbers? Any dumbass in the kingdom thinking they can rob your place will regret it, either by you kicking their ass with a ladle or by your ‘kids’ taking revenge.” Kagami said gruffly, putting quotation marks around ‘kids’ and taking a seat at the bar.

Nijimura used to be employed as a nanny at the royal palace and took another job when his ‘kids’ were fully grown. Kagami doesn’t know the details, and frankly, when it comes to the Generation of Royals, he’d rather not know. But luckily enough for him, Nijimura still had a lot of pull around the palace.

  


“Oh, but I might as well be! I swear, between you and the kids, I’ll be spent before I’m 26.” He said, placing bread, butter, and jam in front of Kagami. Choosing to ignore the usual nagging about the door and the kids, the redhead finally got to what he was actually here for. 

  


“Hey, Nijimura, do you know of any job openings at the palace? The construction company got a new hire and decided to boot me.” He said around the loaf of bread currently stuffed in his mouth. But it was not Nijimura that answered.

  


“Yes, there is an opening for an official sparring partner for High Corporal Aomine. With your impressive skill, it should be no problem.” Kagami most definitely did not screech like a little girl, and he did not jump out of his seat and run to the opposite end of the room. When he finally turned around after not-running away, he examined the stranger. 

  


He wasn’t remarkable. Well, that was a lie. This man had easily evaded Kagami’s senses, something that any petty thief or con-man could attest to as being difficult. Physically, he didn’t seem so intimidating. A dark cloak hung from his shoulders, covering simple working clothes. 

The stranger had pale blue eyes and hair, and- oh. Oh no. This was one of Nijimura’s kids. Which meant he was an Alpha. Kagami had to take several deep breaths, both to try and catch the stranger’s scent and to keep himself from launching over the counter to strangle Nijimura.

  


The beta in question was laughing heartily, a hand held out towards Kagami. A couple of weeks ago, Kagami had bet that no Alpha could ever get the drop on him, and Nijimura had gladly taken that bet. Kagami was a stupid, stupid man. Nijimura had raised the Royals, of course he still kept in touch with them. He sighed, digging ten coins out of his pocket.

  


“Kagami,” Nijimura said, still chuckling, “This is Kuroko. He’s actually been here the same time as you for about a year now, and you ne~ver noticed. Although, I’m a bit disappointed in you Kagami. I had a lot running on the fact that you would punch Kuroko in the face. Now I guess you really are a damsel in distress.”

  


Kagami’s patience was waning, and reached dangerously low levels as he watched Nijimura pay Kuroko. And then it occurred to him. This Royal  _ brat _ thought that Kagami was going to run away like a  _ damsel in distress _ . If Kuroko really had been here for a year at the same time as Kagami, then he’d heard the particular conversation that had started the bet. Kagami rounded on Kuroko, about to start a fight, and then thought better of it.

  


Kuroko, for one thing, was a part of the Generation of Royals, and if his guess was correct, he probably specialized in assassination. Getting a knife between the ribs was not on his list of priorities at the moment. Kuroko had also said that there was a position open at the palace, and a fun one at that. Every cowardly warrior dreads the day when they might spar against High Corporal Aomine Daiki, but for Kagami, it was the opposite. A crazy strong guy who claims that the only one who can beat him is himself? Bring it!

  


“So,” Kagami said, taking even more deep breaths, “Sparring with the High Corporal, huh?” The redhead could have sworn he saw Kuroko’s lips twitch, but Kuroko swiftly distracted him.

  


“Indeed. The soldiers have been coming up with increasingly clever ways to avoid him, so the Emperor has decided to simply provide a permanent sparring partner. I’ve seen Kagami defeat many strong warriors in battle simply for fun, and I was hoping you’d be willing to take the challenge.”

  


“Oh, I’ll take the challenge alright. Just tell me where to go and I’ll be there.” Kagami said, blood thrumming with excitement. Kuroko waved goodbye to Nijimura and gestured for Kagami to follow.

  


“Aomine can be difficult at best, and I do not recommend trying to talk to him with little sleep. I will provide you living quarters at the Seirin Wing of the palace for now, until it can be brought up with Aomine. In the morning, Wakamatsu will take you to Aomine, and you can improvise from there. I do hope this is not too difficult of a task.” Kuroko said, monotone voice soft in the night air.

  


“Of course it’s not difficult. All you did was ask me to sleep and fight the High Corporal. It’s not like either of those things will be hard.” Kagami gruffed, disappointed that he wouldn’t get to fight Aomine.

  


Kuroko said nothing, simply letting the shadows hide his smile. Aomine would owe him big time for this.


	2. Tiger meets Panther

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine: zzzzzzz
> 
> Wakamatsu, sobbing, holding an air horn: How are you still asleep????
> 
> Aomine: zzzzzzzz

Kagami had barely slept. The mere prospect of fighting a match that big had him excited. He’d lain awake all night, thinking of creative moves and unexpected attacks, all to catch the High Corporal off guard. He had finally rested at around 4 am, and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

As for the bedroom, it was nice. It had a big window that faced the forest, the bed was soft, there was a connecting bathroom, and Kagami could have easily fallen asleep on the carpet. All of that would have been lovely to wake up to, had there not been a loud banging on the door at five am.

Still in his clothes from the previous day, Kagami threw open the door to see a tall, blond Alpha in light leather armor was leaning on the door frame, somehow looking both defeated, exhausted, and angry at the same time. He didn’t say anything, just gestured for Kagami to follow.

When they finally stood in the courtyard just outside the Seirin Wing, he seemed to gather the energy to talk, or rather, rant.

“So… I tried to make things a bit easier for you today, seeing as you’re doing us a favor and all. Got up at 4 just to get the jump on Aomine in his room and drag him to the training yard but noooooooo. He wasn’t there. So I checked out all his usual hiding spots. Nada. Sorry, but I guess you’ll just have to spar with the regular soldiers today. At this point, if Aomine isn’t where he usually is, then he’s probably on the moon laughing at me or napping. Oh, I’m Wakamatsu Kousuke by the way.” He said, running a hand through his hair.

“What favor? I can’t imagine fighting the High Corporal could be boring.” Kagami said, trying to poke some life into the poor guy.

“What favor he sais. Kuroko really outdid himself. When Aomine decides to show himself, you’ll get along great.” Kagami got the impression he wasn’t supposed to hear the beginning of that statement and wondered what Kuroko had done that was so special. He just liked to fight strong people! He didn’t have time to mull on that anymore, since Wakamatsu swiftly moved on.

“Kagami, this is going to be hard for you to understand, but you really are doing us a huge favor. You see, we soldiers, especially in the Touou wing, get a lot of pressure from a lot of places. Aomine’s got us by the balls running around trying to find him to get him to actually train once in a while. The whole reason we’re still running around everywhere trying to find him is that the Emperor ordered us to search for Aomine and get him to practice. Aomine is not scared of the Emperor’s wrath, so we get stuck searching for hours trying to find him and never get any training done. Even if we can find Aomine and somehow convince him to spar, he just beats us all senseless and disappears for the foreseeable future. Kuroko finally decided to talk to the Emperor and got him to agree to a private sparring partner for Aomine. That means that the soldiers get to train while you go running around trying to find Aomine and then drag him into a sparring match. I thought you should at least get to see the guy before spending the rest of your life chasing him around the kingdom screaming ‘fight me’. Sorry, thank you, and good luck with that.” 

Wakamatsu’s voice cracked several times during the explanation, a testament to what the High Corporal’s predicament did to his psyche. Kagami almost pitied the guy, but the next sentence was the icing on the cake. Wakamatsu turned to Kagami, looking on the verge of sobbing and said:

“I found him in a whole different kingdom once. I wasn’t even looking for him. I was on vacation. He was just, he was in a tree taking a nap. I nearly cried. The other guys had been sending letters begging me to come back and help, but it was my vacation! And- and - and -” Kagami gave (what he hoped was) a comforting pat on the back, beginning to feel like the High Corporal would be more than disappointing.

When they were almost to the training field, they happened to pass the part of the forest with dense underbrush. Kagami hadn’t thought much of it before Wakamatsu had blocked him from advancing. He gestured for Kagami to be quiet, and slowly peeked through the trees. Suddenly, Wakamatsu lunged for a little hollow beneath a tree and began to drag some sort of figure from it with a sort of fevered desperation. 

“Aomine! Got you, you wily bastard. Come on, we have training and I’m not making this poor guy go looking for you again!” He shouted, roughly shaking the High Corporal.

The High Corporal looked… strong. He had a deep tan, and laugh lines around his eyes. Blue eyes and hair, but a great deal darker than Kuroko’s. Kagami opened his mouth to greet the High Corporal, but much to his surprise, he began fighting. Kagami’s mouth dropped open.

It was elegant and well planned, moving with a kind of confidence that only experienced warriors could manage. Kagami recognized energy-saving moves that he himself used frequently, mainly used for… running away. No sooner did Kagami come to this realization did Aomine take off, the redhead right on his heels.

Aomine had the upper hand from the start. He was wearing shoes with thick soles, no doubt made for long runs in thick underbrush. He also knew the terrain well, especially to have found a napping spot in a seemingly small tree hollow. Finally, Aomine was simply in better shape than Kagami was. Kagami had little time to train his body, dedicating a lot of time to work and finding acceptable places to sleep.

As sad as it may seem, Kagami didn’t see the need for a permanent home. He had two changes of clothes in his duffel bag, basic hygiene appliances, and a blanket for when the weather got bad. Nijimura usually allowed the use of his bathroom at the bakery for showers and the like, and nights were usually bearable no matter how cold, provided he had some warm bread in his belly. Aomine had no such living situations, and his physique had benefited.

But, Kagami had determination. Aomine seemed godly at reading body language, able to see that Wakamatsu wasn’t up to chase him and that Kagami wouldn’t be able to keep up if he went full speed in just a glance. The only reason Kagami wasn’t already leagues behind was that he desperately wanted to fight Aomine, if only to get revenge for Wakamatsu.

They finally broke free of the forest, but whereas Aomine abruptly stopped, Kagami ran straight into his hard back. Aomine didn’t even stumble, just slowly proceeded towards the weapons rack. Soldiers who had been in intense sparring sessions just moments before stopped to watch in shock as the High Corporal picked up a sword, a simple dulled broadsword, clearly brought out for new recruits to practice on.

“Well? Are you just going to stand there?” Aomine finally spoke, turning with a lazy expression on his face.

“Come on, let’s get this over with. It’s bad enough that Wakamatsu woke me up, but now I’ll have you on my tail. I mean seriously, I asked Kuroko to just get me a pretty Omega to play around with and he gets me this Alpha loser.” The insult topped off with a yawn, Kagami almost, almost, corrects him, but decides against it. After all, he could gloat after he beat Aomine to a pulp. But first…

“Oh, you see, I thought you would be a challenge. Apparently, the only reason you need a personal sparring partner is because you’re just so bad. All the soldiers here have to go chasing after you all day, and then when they finally manage to find you, only by the Emperors orders, by the way, you just throw away the match and disappear again. I mean seriously, they just want to train and you bail? Really pathetic man, no wonder Kuroko couldn’t find an Omega for you. They knew all along what a pathetic loser you are.” Kagami jeered, trying to make his voice as obnoxious as possible.

After all, Kagami knew the person that raised Aomine. Nijimura had been assigned the role of nanny from an incredibly young age, and basically spent his entire life with the Generation of Royals. If there was one thing Nijimura always emphasized, it was that you need to tease Aomine into doing something. Nijimura had also teased Kagami relentlessly about it, claiming he learned how to deal with Kagami’s level of idiocy when he was barely 7 years old. Who’s laughing now, Nijimura?

Aomine’s eye twitched, and his grip on the sword tightened. He swiftly exchanged swords, going for a more practical and sharp broadsword, clearly well taken care of. Before Kagami could grab a weapon, Aomine charged, eyes blazing.

Kagami evaded just in time, or so he thought. He did manage to dodge the sword, but not the follow-up kick. A little winded, Kagami managed to sock Aomine right back, landing a blow to the stomach. Aomine shoved Kagami off and threw the sword.

Kagami ducked, and then crashed to the ground as Aomine tackled him. Kagami was about to try and throw him off, before he heard a deep growl and froze. Aomine smirked, obviously thinking he’d won dominance over another Alpha, and that obviously (sadly) stroked his ego.

“So, where is all that tough talk now, huh big guy? To scared when you hear a real Alpha growl? Man, you’re so weak I can’t even smell you.” He said, voice set to a lazy drawl. Seemingly annoyed, Aomine ripped the shoulder off of Kagami’s shirt and bent down, taking a deep breath.

“What the fu-” Kagami began, quickly muffled by Aomine’s hand. The soldiers who’d gathered to spectate were muttering, seeming to wonder if they should do something. Before they could decide, Aomine spoke.

“Damn, you’re not an Alpha. Or an Omega! Damn you Kuroko, you really know how to ruin my fun. So what’s a Beta like you doing fighting me?” Aomine said sternly. His lazy mood had been ruined by the fight, the goading, and the realization that his sparring partner was a Beta. Well fuck you too, asswipe! Kagami thought.

Deciding not to grace his rude remark with an answer, Kagami heaved with all of his strength, throwing the taller Alpha off. Something flashed in Aomine’s eyes, maybe anger, maybe interest, Kagami wasn’t sure. All he knew was that this guy is probably what most Omega’s would call a ‘douche who you must carry pepper spray around’. He would probably follow one home thinking it was romantic. Well, gotta get rid of the scum of the Earth somehow!

However, Aomine still had some surprises left. Kagami nearly gasped as Aomine began to shift, sleek black-blue fur covered all visible skin, his fangs elongated, and his eyes gained cat-like slits. His nails sharpened into claws, his mouth opened to accommodate the large fangs, and his stance changed to one closer to the ground, almost like he was ready to pounce. Most infuriatingly of all, he had this smug aura all around him, like he’d done something completely outrageous (Which he had, but Kagami would never admit he was amazed.)

Shifting was an ability that everyone had to a certain degree. Some could shift all the way into the animal they resembled most, others could only make their fangs a little sharper than usual. It was mildly painful to shift, and shifting multiple body parts hurt a lot. Like with most things, if you shift often you may gain more shifting abilities, and it becomes more bearable with practice, but it takes years of practice to be able to shift the way Aomine did, and Kagami certainly wasn’t expecting it. That is, not to say, that Kagami couldn’t shift.

Kagami relaxed a bit, not wanting to be tense for the process. Like with needles and slaps, tensing would only make it hurt more. He felt a hot/cold sensation, and little pricks as his fangs and claws grew. His fur was that of a tiger, orange with black stripes, and thick enough to protect him from most stab wounds, and to stave off the cold when his little blanket wasn’t enough. His claws were long and curved, and his fangs were so big they required his mouth to stay open. There was that emotion again, in Aomine’s eyes, the maybe anger/maybe interest. 

Aomine began posturing, a silent ask if this was really how they were going to fight. Kagami answered by lunging, letting out a guttural roar. Aomine met it, growling just as loudly and met him halfway. They grappled for a bit, claws digging into fur and teeth buried in shoulders, arms, anywhere they could reach skin and not more fur. Aomine’s fur was surprisingly thick and slippery. If Kagami didn’t know any better, then he might have said Aomine was just a hairy eel. Later, when they aren’t fighting, Kagami might bring that particular observation out.

And then it occurred to Kagami. This was why Aomine needed to train. Kagami had seen a lot of General Soldiers, the ones who patrolled the streets and made sure to investigate civilian murders and the like, did not fight shifted. Achieving Aomine’s stage in shifting would require years of endless practicing, something normal soldiers would not learn how to do. There were legends of how the High Corporal loved to spar, loved to achieve new heights, but if no one around him could shift like this then he would forever be stuck. Kagami grinned and shook his head roughly, trying to knock the panther off-center from where his fangs were buried in his shoulder.

They broke apart again, and to Kagami’s surprise, Aomine began laughing. It wasn’t a maniacal laugh, or one meant to intimidate. Aomine was laughing out of pure joy and amusement. For just a moment, Kagami could see it. Could see the joyful young man who enjoyed a good battle and lived for the next move he would perfect. And Kagami grinned too. At that moment, with little droplets of blood dripping onto the ground, tiger and panther both felt they’d found a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions, headcanons, tips, and constructive criticism are always welcome!
> 
> Also, consider: Nijimura is probably going to be called back to be the royal nanny again except for Kagami's kids ;)
> 
> comment 'what a douche' if you know someone you must carry pepper spray around


	3. Of Children and Loneliness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine: ;-;
> 
> Kagami: No don't
> 
> The Shadows: gay

_ He’s amazing.  _ Kagami thought absently. At the moment, he was sweating so much his fur was soaked, and his muscles ached to the bone. Aomine was in equally bad shape, panting heavily and wiping sweat from his brow. The sun was setting and the courtyard was nearly empty, a few dedicated soldiers milling about doing calming exercises. A few were in a group doing katas together, and a ways off from them were some children doing a poor imitation but trying nonetheless. Judging by the amused expressions on the soldiers’ faces, they’d noticed but remained focused on their task.

One of the children wandered off and approached the two where they were lazing under a tree (Kagami had decided that Aomine had the right idea with this whole napping under trees thing). The child seemed to deliberate in front of them before finally deciding to speak.

“ ’Xcuse me, sir. We were wondering if you could teach us how to do those fancy moves the soldiers over there are doing. Before they started, one of them told us that it helped with their soldier-work a lot and that they can’t be interrupted. Could you help us?” All of the children were watching curiously, and Kagami really wished he could help, but he’d never done kata before. Aomine heaved a heavy sigh and stood shakily, muscles obviously quivering in exhaustion. He lumbered over to the child who’d spoken, and then turned around.

“Aren’t you coming too?” He said, a slight lilt of confusion in his voice. Aomine even seemed to be pouting a little, and Kagami really wished he could go.

“I don’t know how to do katas Aomine. You’re already teaching the kids, I think that’s enough.” He said, voice raw from all the growling, snarling, and roaring he’d done in the past hours. Aomine simply scoffed.

“Let me rephrase. Would you like to learn how to do katas and then be better than those soldiers while we teach the kids how to?” Aomine said, a sly look in his eyes. He held out a hand and Kagami couldn’t help but giggle a bit, accepting it. Both of their sore muscles protested profusely, but they loped back to the spot where the children were waiting.

Some of the soldiers looked over, interest clear in their eyes, but the soldier leading the katas swiftly got their attention back on track. Kagami couldn’t blame them, after all, they were quite the sight. Both tiger and panther had grooves in their fur from claws that couldn’t quite reach skin, and their fangs and claws were both still out, although shrunken to a much more acceptable level. Their clothing was reduced to scraps, fur covering where clothes failed, they really drew attention.

“Alright,” Aomine began as they finally reached the children, “We’re going to start with some basic easy katas. I need you guys to get in some even, straight lines. The first step to doing the kata is discipline, and if you can’t get into straight lines then I’m afraid we’re doomed.” The kids scrambled to get into lines, and even if they weren’t quite straight, they were satisfactory enough for Aomine. Kagami simply stood next to Aomine, waiting until told otherwise.

“The first basic kata. Pretend you’re holding a stick, and slowly stab your imaginary enemy. I’ll show you how to do it on my friend here. Now remember, slowly. These are just practice for when you actually train. This is all about form, not power. Kagami, face me.’

Obliging, Kagami turned to face the High Corporal. Aomine raised his hands over his head, as though holding a sword, and slowly brought it down until the make-believe sword would have hit Kagami’s head. Kagami remained still as Aomine swiftly took questions from the kids, and turned back to Kagami.

“Okay guys, Kagami here has never done kata before, but he has used swords. On me, you saw how a kata looks in perfect form from someone who has practiced them for a very long time. On Kagami, you can see how an experienced swordsman who’s never done a kata before performs this action. Kagami, what I just did would have been a finishing blow to the head, but in slow motion. Don’t try to make it a kata, just do that overhead swing like you normally do. But slower.” he tagged on, earning a few giggles from the children.

Kagami loosened up his stance and pretended to draw his sword. He raised one hand above his head and brought it down slowly, one hand poised near his stomach in case of a counter-attack. A brief memory of their first few blows came to mind, dodging the sword but not the kick. Had Aomine been a slower fighter, then Kagami might have been able to block that kick, but no such luck. Without a word, Aomine turned to the kids.

“Can anyone point out what he did differently?” He asked, tone neutral. A few brave children raised their hands.

“You, in the green sweater.” A kid in a neon green, puffy sweater put his hand down.

“He didn’t use both hands, he had one on his stomach. And he wasn’t as stiff as you were, he had a relaxed posture. He also didn’t step as far forward as you did, he did small steps.” The kid said in a matter-of-fact tone. Aomine chuckled, nodding.

“Yup. And that’s why I’m not going to show you any more katas. You saw how Kagami kept a hand near his stomach, right? Well, earlier today when we were sparring, I did that same move that the kata we were just doing was meant to protect, and Kagami dodged it. But he wasn’t able to avoid my kick, and I got him in the ribs. Kagami knew that there was a possibility that I would dodge his sword and get him in the ribs again, so he was prepared. Katas leave no room for that sort of thing.” Aomine explained patiently.

The kids were nodding, if a little disappointed. Kagami shot a look at Aomine, and he turned to address the children again.

“But that doesn’t mean that when the soldiers are done with their katas that  _ they _ can’t teach you. They can’t help you now since they’re busy, but they’ll finish up soon if you still want to ask. Just between you and me, katas are a huge waste of time.” He winked at the kids earning more giggles, and Aomine waved goodbye. Once the children were out of earshot, Aomine spoke again.

“And just between you and me, I would have taught them more katas if every part of my body wasn’t on fire and dead at the same time. They are a waste of time, but there is no harm in teaching some kids something they can do in their spare time. Now, I know this hot spring in a secret part of the palace, and I don’t know about you, but a hot bath sounds great.” To be honest, Kagami hurt everywhere too. He nodded, and a few moments later, they were in the palace.

A few servants darted about here and there, the occasional soldier who was tasked with night duty, and finally, they reached a set of large, ornate wooden doors. Kagami pushed them open because Aomine claimed to be ‘too tired’ and revealed a sparsely decorated hall. Although it still seemed to be part of the palace that anyone could wander into, it seemed that no one actually used the rooms here. Aomine noticed Kagami’s confusion and began to explain.

“A couple of decades ago, Akashi’s dad made a trade deal with another country, and their crown prince had a fondness of hot springs, so this place exists. Most of the decor they had here to make that snob more comfortable are gone, but the hot spring is still maintained. Ahh, I haven’t been here for so long.” Aomine seemed excited, and Kagami could believe that the panther hadn’t been here for quite some time. Going to a hot spring was good on aching joints and muscles, but… if nothing ever challenged Aomine, then it was safe to assume that he never felt he deserved to be here. 

Well, no longer. Kagami made a sort of mental note to make sure that Aomine would always deserve this sort of thing, to fight and train as hard as possible so Aomine would laugh just like he’d done before. With joy and happiness, like an adult rediscovering a beloved game. Aomine opened another door that seemed to lead outside.

“Woah.” Kagami said as they reached the hot spring. The hot spring had been built into the forest, beautifully, in such a way that a random person wandering in the forest could have come across it. Looking closer, there was a wall of glass separating the hot spring and forest, but that was it. There was a stone pathway leading to the hot spring to keep dirt off your feet, and Kagami could feel the heat from where he stood.

Aomine simply sat in the hot spring, and that’s when Kagami took notice of their clothing. Or rather, lack of it. Somehow, during the long hours of sparring, their clothing had been ripped to shreds. Although it was nothing indecent, thick fur covering anything that would make an old priest faint, it was still jarring. Looking closer at himself, Kagami noticed he had continued to shift slowly as the day went on, evident in his animal-like legs, and upon further inspection, his ears had shifted into ones more cat-like.

Looking over, he could see the same changes on Aomine. It was still definitely the High Corporal, sunken eyes and high cheekbones still noticeable, but there was simply a wilder quality. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Nijimura said,  _ Well Kagami, that might be because he has sharp ears and fur all over him. _ Fake Nijimura had a point. Putting that thought away, Kagami stepped in the hot spring with Aomine.

“Oh jeez,” Kagami groaned, relishing the feel of the hot water, “That’s it. We’re coming here all the time. I might just live here.” Aomine erupted in giddy giggles, exhaustion obviously taking hold. Kagami knew because he was feeling giddy and exhausted too.

“No no, I’m serious! I got fur, I’ll be warm. Better yet, I could just sleep in the hot spring, and you can come get me when you want to spar. It’ll be great. I can boil eggs in here, what else can you boil? I guess meat. Vegetables.” Kagami said. Aomine was laughing so hard he ended up smacking Kagami to get the tiger to shut up. 

Kagami felt his eyes droop, and for a moment both tiger and panther sat in silence for a moment, trying to find the energy to keep up conversation. Suddenly, Kagami heard a low pack call, the kind that comes from a pack member in distress. Slowly, Kagami turned to face Aomine, watched his closed eyes and mournful expression. Usually, this sound was done loudly, meant to draw pack members together to deal with problems. The fact that Aomine’s call was barely above a whisper had many implications.

Kagami was a creature of instinct. A tiger who prowls the streets with single-minded intention. He dealt with the problems in front of him, sensed danger an instant before it came. When he hears Aomine in distress, his first instinct is not to look for an outside threat, like with any other person. Aomine would not be distressed if he was in danger. Instead, Kagami sensed loneliness, endless loneliness, from a panther who stood at the top of the world. 

Without a word, Kagami scooted closer and put his arms around Aomine, none of the awkward pattings he’d done with Wakamatsu. Aomine was a creature of instinct too, in a way that Kagami had forgotten how to be. Kagami did not have a pack. His parents died at a young age, and he’d worked alone all his life, building houses, plumbing, anything that paid. He learned to sense danger because he was alone, who dealt with problems as they arose because he had no other option, and ultimately, he’d never known what a pack was, could not miss it.

But Aomine had. He’d grown up in the most powerful and influential pack in the world, and with the most powerful of them all, The Generation of Royals. But clearly, the Generation of Royals were not good pack members. If this loneliness was a new thing, then Aomine should have been howling from the rooftops for his pack. Instead, he was crooning a melancholic melody in whisper tones, like he expected no one to answer. The very thought alone made Kagami sick, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to answer this foreign pack call.

Kagami purred softly, trying to figure out how this joyous man who smiled and laughed while he fought with childlike humor, who took the time to teach children katas, who invited a friend he’d made just that day to a beautiful place where he often used to come to relax. And Kagami could feel the loneliness. A horrible thought occurred to Kagami: Aomine did not have friends. He’d previously thought that in a pack, it would be a given that you’d have a lot of friends, but… Aomine was sitting in a hot spring, with a stranger he only just met, softly crooning a pack call because no one would answer it.

Aomine wrapped his arms around Kagami, accepting the hug. At a loss for what else to do, Kagami purred, hoping Aomine would feel better soon. A few minutes later, exhaustion took Aomine over, and he fell asleep in Kagami’s arms. Kagami slowly lifted the panther out of the water and made his way out of the hot spring. Kagami felt like he was in a trance, or in some surreal universe, as he carried the High Corporal back through the barren hallways.

No servants in sight, no light filtering from the windows, and the guards on night duty stood still as statues. Nothing seemed alive, not even the panther he held in his arms. Kagami felt dazed, felt deep in his bones that something wasn’t quite right, but not wrong either. There was no red flashing light, no, there was no light. The absence of light of any kind, not from the lives that should shine light, not from the sun or moon, the entire world blanketed in shadow. Shadow… why did that sound familiar? The shadows were going somewhere, pointing somewhere, and Kagami followed.

He could see nothing in the light, no candles lit, and the moon seemed to have stopped existing. No light, the absence of light, everything was in shadow, follow the shadows. That was all that circled in Kagami’s clouded mind, like the shadows had spread from the world around him into his brain, blanketed all rational thought in shadow. Spellbound, Kagami wandered further into the palace, through heavy doors, and then a smaller door, and stopped in front of a bed.

All of a sudden, the shadows seemed to lift, the spell seemed to break, and Kagami could form conscious thought again. He looked around, saw a room sparsely decorated except for a well taken care of sword hanging from the wall and a small picture. Looking closer at the picture, it held a young Generation of Royals. The pack that wasn’t a pack. A young Aomine beamed at the camera, an arm thrown around what looked like a child version of Kuroko, and a pink-haired girl Kagami didn’t recognize. No doubt another part of the Generation of Royals.

Kagami could just here Nijimura’s chiding voice,  _ You’ve lived in their kingdom for your entire life, Kagami! You should know! _ Whatever, fake Nijimura. Kagami realized this must be Aomine’s room, and set the said man on the bed. As soon as he let go, Aomine let out a lonely whine, shocking Kagami so bad he immediately rushed back to the High Corporal’s side. That whine was painful to hear, and even if Kagami had only recently started paying attention to the Generation of Royals, he’d already had enough of them.

Kagami laid down next to Aomine and purred, the lonely whine dying down. Resigning himself to the next couple of hours, Kagami closed his eyes and slept. The shadows drifted in once more.


	4. The Hawk and The Celery Stick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takao: UwU
> 
> Midorima: Don't
> 
> Takao: OwO

When Kagami woke up, he woke up sweaty. Sometime during the night, he’d shifted back to his human form, and so had Aomine… and their clothes had been ripped to shreds last night. Kagami blinked the sleep out of his eyes and noticed the rather precarious position he was in. Aomine had both arms wrapped around Kagami’s waist, and a leg thrown over Kagami’s legs. Aomine was currently using Kagami’s arm as a pillow, Kagami’s other arm still half-cradling Aomine.

Blushing profusely, Kagami tried to wiggle out of Aomine’s octopus hug, only to be tugged back by a much firmer grip. Aomine growled softly against Kagami’s back, and Kagami huffed a laugh. Who knew? The lazy bastard most of the army spent all their time chasing liked to cuddle. Kagami sighed and settled down. He could deal with this when Aomine woke up.

Kagami looked closer at the sleeping Alpha, trying to match his innocent sleeping face to the asshole who Omegas have to carry pepper spray around. Aomine had dark circles under his eyes, and deep-set laugh lines. He had curved lips and high cheekbones, and curved, long lashes. Aomine stirred, waking up. He blinked a couple of times, took in the fact that they were naked and effectively cuddling, and blushed all the way down his chest.

“So. I did not hallucinate you.” Aomine said, voice hoarse. Kagami chuckled, nodding.

“Indeed. I am real. Last night, you fell asleep in the hot spring, I carried you to your room, and when I tried to leave, you grabbed my arm and got me in an octopus hold.” So Kagami fibbed a little. Plus, he felt giddy, he was surrounded by strong Alpha scent, and come to think of it, he hadn’t had a heat or rut in a while and oh no.  _ Oh no. _

“Oh, and Aomine? I think being in your bed all night sent me into pre-heat. Your scent is really nice, 10/10 would sleep in again. But I probably need to see a doctor.” Kagami said loftily. Aomine bolted out of the bed and fretted about for a bit, before finally stopping in front of Kagami, looking put out.

“I don’t know what to do.” Kagami laughed and sat up.

“Just take me to a doctor. If I’m already too far gone in pre-heat then I’ll probably find some room to weather it in. Can you volunteer your room, you smell hot. And look hot! And can fight. Just volunteer yourself, honestly. And if I’m not too far gone, then he’ll just give me a scentless washrag or something and I’ll be right as rain.” Kagami said, feeling like a puddle. ‘Cause puddles are great.

“Oooookay we need you to see a doctor now, here put some clothes on. Uhh, here. Shirt, pants, let’s go.” Aomine practically threw the clothes at Kagami. Kagami laughed harder and got dressed quickly. Aomine started fretting again, and finally got frustrated and simply picked Kagami up and began running. Kagami giggled madly and wiggled around like a gleeful worm.

A few moments later, they arrived at a plain, medical looking door, as Kagami’s addled brain supplied. Aomine awkwardly opened the door to reveal a man with broccoli colored hair taaalll man who looked like someone pissed on his glasses. Come to think of it, something was familiar about him. Maybe the picture in Aomine’s room? Who knows? A fun-looking guy with black hair and steel eyes was perched on the counter, like a hawk or something.

“Midorima, I don’t know what to do. He’s in pre-heat. Fix him.” Aomine placed Kagami on the examination table and gestured vaguely to Midorima. Midorima sighed and got up to open a drawer and pulled out a plain white washrag. He sprayed it with some clear thing and handed it to Kagami. Kagami put it around his neck and jolted at the cold field. Kagami sighed, feeling the effect immediately.

“Hey, how’d you know the scentless stuff would work?” Kagami asked, trying not to slur his words and cursing pre-heat. Midorima pushed up his glasses, taking that distasteful look again.

“Well, you were not sweating or leaking sweat and had little interest in either of the Alphas in the room. From there it was an easy assumption that a simple scentless towel would suffice.” Midorima spoke in the same tone the child from last night had, in that same I-know-everything tone. Huffing, Kagami turned to the black-haired man who’d been watching on with amusement.

“Who’re you?” Kagami asked. The man beamed and jumped off the counter, sticking out a hand.

“I’m Takao Kazunari, medical assistant to this old grump right here. Who’re you?” He said cheerfully. Midorima seemed about to protest, but Kagami had already had enough of the Generation of Royals  _ hours  _ ago. Midorima could wait.

“I’m Kagami Taiga, uhhhh, I guess I’m the personal sparring partner to this idiot over there.” Aomine squawked, affronted, and was about to protest, but Takao quickly began talking once more.

“Ah, you have an idiot too? Well, buckle down. Today’s a slow day and I have some tea to spill sis. You down for some venting?” Takao grinned, like inviting him to play a game. Kagami laughed, nodding, and Takao began his tirade.

“So, I’m a young, attractive Beta, right? And I’ve known Shin-chan for like, three years. So I figured, hey! He’s pretty nice and all, so why not try and make something work. But I had  _ no _ idea, no idea at all, man. I go up to him after work, he’s just finishing up some paperwork, and I go, how about we go on a date? He blushes, I’m thinking ‘Hell yeah! I got a date!’ but then he just goes ‘Takao, get me another pen, this one’s dry.’. Like, what’s up with that? His pen wasn’t dry, because he was using a pencil! And that little incident was four years ago!”

“But that was just the start. I figured I didn’t get a straight answer, ya know? So I went to a buddy of mine, and he goes ‘Some Alpha’s like to get complimented, but since it doesn’t happen often it’s special to them’. So I go, fine! I can be honest, I’m not a high school Omega, I can tell the guy I like that I think he’s hot, so I do. Next day, I go ‘Ya know, Shin-chan? You have a really nice, strong scent’. He goes completely red, sputters a bit, and then gives me this mountain of paperwork. Now, I’d known the guy for three years, I knew full well this guy was a Tsundere, so I kept it up!” Midorima seemed to desperately want to separate the two venting Betas, but Aomine held a hand out to block him with a jeer on his face.

Takao continues full speed, Kagami nodding and making small noises as needed.

“So, I pull out all the stops. I compliment his dressing, his skin, I tell him he has strong hands that are nice to look at, that he’s super strong, all of it. Every time, he blushes and tells me to go do something. A year goes by of me doing this, and I go back to the same friend from the first time. I go, ‘The compliments are working a little bit, but nothing’s happened. Anything else?’ My friend nods and goes, ‘Okay, maybe he wants to take it slow. Try inviting him out in friendly gatherings, to a bar for a couple of drinks, or just out for some ramen.” 

“Now this is where we get somewhere, but not really. I start inviting Shin-chan out for dinner after work, finally,  _ finally, _ he sais yes. We go out for ramen, nothing too serious, and we make some small talk. Now, one night, it was my turn to pay and I forgot my wallet here. The walk was nothing, just a block from here to the closest ramen shop, so I leave to get my wallet. A couple of yards from the shop, some Alpha’s corner me, start talking mad shit. You know, the general bullshit about sex and money, what they’ll do if I don’t give.” Takao nearly stops as Midorima gives a low growl, nearly being the keyword.

“Now, I’m not too concerned. Most of the Alpha’s smelled terminally ill, chronic pain, starved, all that jazz. But they still outnumbered me, and I’m more of a team player than an ace, ya know? I’m not like you, or Aomine, I can’t take five or so Alphas on my own. I thought maybe if I can get the jump on them, I’ll be able to run back to the ramen shop and just beg Shin-chan to pay. This is when things start getting saucy.” Kagami gestured for Takao to go on, ignoring Midorima’s half protests.

“Shin-chan comes out of nowhere, wacks two of them on the head, straight out. They fall to the floor, Shin-chan growls, now I’m scared  _ and _ horny, and before I know it, the other three guys are on the floor, probably dead. Shin-chan turns to me, goes ‘It’s alright, I’ll pay’, starts walking away. I grab him, and yell ‘How’d you know I needed you?’ Don’t talk to me about that line, that’s just how it came out. Anyway, he blushes, goes ‘I just knew’ and keeps walking. Like, wow.” Takao paused for air, and Kagami put his two cents in.

“And he still didn’t take you on a date after that? Nothing? At all?” Kagami asked. Takao nodded glumly.

“Nothing. Work carried on as usual. After that though, he was more protective. Wouldn’t let me go anywhere by myself. Now, as you know, the Generation of Royals are the most powerful Alpha pack. Being around a powerful Alpha, as a Beta, triggers heats. Apparently. I am not nearly as qualified for this job as I should be. Don’t tell anyone.” Takao winked, giggling.

“But anyway, I had regular heats. So I’m being followed around my this powerful, dominant Alpha, while I’m in pre-heat. Fun. Anyway, a year goes by. Shin-chan finally makes the first move and invites me to his place for a couple of drinks. Obviously, I have to tease him, so I start making the usual jokes about coercing me into his bed, how I would love to sleep with him drunk or not, and he just huffs. Not as much blush as usual, so I’m instantly curious.” Midorima groans in the background.

“He goes, ‘I just want to conduct an examination in the privacy of my own home. If you agree, it will be extremely thorough and slightly invasive, but it is important for my research.’ That’s what he told me.” Kagami slyly eyes Midorima, who looks on the verge of murdering Takao. Takao doesn’t care.

“So, like, was it a kink? Did he leave in the morning? Come on man, spill all the tea.” Kagami happily said. Aomine snorted, either at Kagami’s remark or how red Midorima was turning.

“We’ll get there when we get there, Kagami! Anyway, I’m thinking the same thing you are! Like, I could be into that. So, I agree, all excited, and after work, we go back to his place. He tells me to take my clothes off, and I was hoping for some more romance, but that was okay too. He sais ‘Lay down on my bed’ and I’m like ‘It’s about to get freaky isn’t it’ but I’m still down.” Takao was gesturing wildly, and Kagami was engrossed in his story.

“He takes out a stethoscope, checks my heart, my pulse, then starts poking and prodding my stomach. Then it hits me. This is  _ actually _ a thorough examination. Now I’m nervous, he said  _ slightly invasive _ and for Shin-chan that could be just short of prying into my tragic backstory. But hey, he has some nice hands, and they felt nice all over me. Plus, the bed was comfy, I was naked. It was like I was at home relaxing.” 

“But, and I may be reading to much into this, but I thought some touches lingered more than they strictly should have, you get it? For instance, when he was checking my joints and such, he lifted my leg ju~st a bit and kept his hand on my thigh while he checked. No matter how much he denies it, and yes I brought this up, I still think he was looking at my ass.” Midorima tried to say something again, but Kagami wasn’t having it. The guy really should give up.

“You do have a nice ass, I gotta say. Plus, what self-respecting Alpha wouldn’t want to see your ass? And was lifting your thigh like that  _ really _ necessary? Maybe he’s an ass  _ and _ thigh man.” Kagami chipped in, thoroughly enjoying the scandalized look on Midorima’s face. Takao cackled, also enjoying Midorima’s expression.

“Yeah, maybe. But it gets worse. Better? Something along those lines. A bit later, he asks me to bend my neck to him. Now, I think you and I can both attest that that is re~ally invasive, but still. I’d known him for around five years, I figure he won’t do anything bad if I submit to him. So now I’m really nervous, I can’t see anything Shin-chan is doing, and I’m stuck staring out the window. I don’t know how submissive Omegas do it, that was terrifying.” Judging by the way Takao’s hands were slightly shaking, that experience really had rattled him.

“But I had nothing to be scared about. He rubbed my scent gland a bit, took a sample, and said I could turn back now. But damn,  _ slightly invasive _ my ass!  **_Literally!_ ** And it got worse when I finally realized that he’d been taking my pulse the whole time! Talk about embarrassing, but he later told me that it was a helpful reaction. Apparently, the whole thing was because someone made a comment about his bedside manner.” Takao said all of this without giving a damn about the man in question who was right there.

“After that, he goes ‘Go on your stomach’ and my inner good prairie Omega comes out. I start thinking bullshit like ‘I’ll never be a proper bride after this’ and ‘Am I still a virgin?’ but Shin-chan was still taking my pulse so I had to put those thoughts behind me. I turn around, he starts poking everywhere. Like, I  _ know  _ he’s checking my bones to make sure I’m healthy, but how calm would you be if Aomine suddenly started doing all that to you? I’m telling you, that left a mark.” Kagami nods in sympathy, imagining that it would be a traumatic experience.

“Then he goes to my ass and thighs, and Kagami, you might be on to something with your theory. Now, I’m not the fittest person. I don’t have a lot of time to exercise and such, and my extra fat likes to go straight to my thighs. Shin-chan really starts kneading, and I’m just blushing into a pillow,  _ his _ pillow, that smells like him, and I swear, I almost went into pre-heat right there.” 

“Then, he just checks my throat and hands me my clothes back. By that point, I’m shaking all over, and I can’t look Shin-chan in the eye. Next day, he hands me a paper with some suggested lifestyle changes and said ‘Thank you for your help. Here are some suggestions for your back and knee pain’ and he never mentioned it again. Like, what is with that? At this point, I’m done trying to beat around the bush.” Kagami, for one, hadn’t thought Takao had been beating around the bush at all.

“For the next three years, I started making marriage jokes at every opportunity. Like this morning, when he walked in I yelled, ‘Shin-chan, let’s get married!’ And he just handed me paperwork. Oh well, one day I’ll get a concrete answer from this tsundere piece of broccoli.” Takao sighed, leaning on the examination table with an expression that was a bit too forlorn to be another part of the story. A thought occurred to Kagami.

“Hey, we should start a pack.” He nudged Takao, whose eyes had blown wide. Takao burst into a grin, almost like he didn’t believe what he was hearing.

“I’m not kidding. We can start a pack of betas for the moment, try and seek out some other betas to join. Maybe some Alphas and Omegas if they’re interested. We could help each other through heats, complain about boneheaded Alphas. We won’t need to ask for more blankets since I can shift pretty far and keep us both warm.” Kagami winked that last sentence. A pack would be nice, especially since it seemed like the main pack, the Generation of Royals, was actually a pretty shit pack. Maybe he could convince Aomine to join. Get Midorima on it too. Said over-grown celery stick spoke.

“It would actually be highly beneficial, Takao. Being in a pack significantly decreases the chances of depression and anxiety, as well as making the chances of getting touch starved almost zero. It would also benefit your health all around, especially when it comes to heats. Omegas and Betas in packs are less impaired by their heats, since the need to breed in a pack goes down exponentially.” Takao scoffed at the Alpha in a sort of ‘I didn’t ask you’ way.

“Well,” Kagami began, “If being in a pack reduces the chances of touch starvation to nearly zero, then why is Aomine touch starved?” Kagami watched the two Royals carefully, noticed how both flinched and exchanged looks. Takao saw it too, slate eyes narrowed to slits. The two Betas waited for an explanation, watched as the two Alphas deliberated.

“Our pack is not that large. It is seven members in total, and we are all very busy. We are Royals, after all. And as for Aomine being touch starved, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Midorima was lying. Before Kagami could say anything, Takao lunged and took Midorima by the wrist. The Alpha hissed like he’d been burned and tried to pull away, but Takao’s grip was iron.

“Shin-chan. Don’t lie to the nice man, he has good intentions. Don’t give me that look, you said that being in a pack would be beneficial. I’m just backing my pack leader. Why are you both touch starved, Shin-chan?” Takao may have said it in a sweet voice, but there was a dangerous aura around him. Takao would not be denied, and Midorima knew it.

“Like I said. We’re all busy, but we’re still a pack. Akashi forbade us from seeking outside relations. It would taint our blood.” Midorima said, looking away. Aomine looked like he was about to protest, but looked at Kagami instead. Kagami remembered that pathetic whine from last night, those mournful pack calls. Kagami reached over and tugged Aomine to him, cradling him in a hug.

Aomine melted, holding Kagami gingerly. The tiger vaguely remembered clipping the panther in the shoulder hard when they were sparring yesterday, and gently rubbed the spot. But then, Kagami got angry. Takao had chased Midorima for  _ seven years _ and had been denied simply because a shit Alpha had declared it. Aomine mournfully cried a deathly quiet pack call he knew no one would answer.

And so Kagami started thinking. He’d already started the movement, asked Takao to be in his pack. There would be others, people who knew the Royals and wanted them to be happy. People who would join this pack. This Akashi, he never truly bonded with his pack, not anymore at least. He had no hold over them, not as pack members. They feared him because he was their Alpha, but he wasn’t.

Kagami could take them. It was a horrid realization, the fact that he could very plausibly take an entire pack from one horrible Alpha. It would take time. It would take people. But it could be done. Nijimura had said that something horrible happened to Akashi when he was still a child, and that he was prone to reckless and dangerous behavior. But Kagami was a pack leader now. And he would save his pack.

Kagami did not know that someone lurked in the shadows. That he had had that very same thought. That he knew how to make it work. After all, it was his doing. The fact that Kagami was here, in the palace, saving the Royals. The Emperors’ pain was no match for the Shadows’ wrath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter! This story was meant to be funny. It was meant to be funny. Oh well. If I ever finish this story, I'll give y'all a sequel that's funny.


	5. The Bear and The Illusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murasakibara: *Grump*
> 
> Himuro: I made snacc!!!
> 
> Murasakibara: Yum *Not grump*

Takao and Kagami made plans to see each other after Takao got off work. Aomine nearly protested, but Midorima said that it was a bad idea for Kagami to spar today, so he just pouted and said he was going to go take a nap. Midorima gave Kagami directions to the palace kitchens, something about needing to eat a lot to safely avoid a heat, and now Kagami was lost. This place was just so big, and Kagami was not the best with directions.

Just when Kagami was about to give up and try to make his way back to the doctor’s office, he smelled a faint, familiar scent. He turned around, trying to find the source, and was nearly bowled over. Someone had tackled him in a hug and was now rubbing their scent all over the tiger, purring. Kagami scented them back, faintly laughing.

“Tatsuya? What are you doing here?” Kagami asked, happily purring at his black-haired friend. Himuro and Kagami had been living together, close as brothers. Himuro had dreams of being a chef, though, so one day when they were teenagers, he up and left with a short goodbye. While Kagami understood, the palace was the last place he expected to see him. Himuro pulled back and beamed at the tiger.

“I became a chef! Before I left, Nijimura mentioned an open position at the palace for a chef and said he’d put in a good word for me if I wanted it. I didn’t know ‘put in a good word’ meant he’d gotten me the job though! Anyway, I’ve been working here since then as the private chef to the Head Captain of Defense, Murasakibara. What are you doing here?” Himuro grinned widely, purring loudly.

“Oh! I am the personal sparring partner to the High Corporal. He’s such a great fighter Tatsuya, you wouldn’t believe. And he’s hot! Oh, oh! I’m also thinking about starting a pack, want in?” Kagami still couldn’t believe Himuro was here, purring like a school Beta with their first Alpha. Himuro busted out laughing and nodded.

“Hell yeah! I would get to spend way more time with you like that, so count me in. But, would this pack you mentioned also happen to have Takao in it? He mentioned it to me a couple of minutes ago, asking for advice. I swear, poor guy, he fell for a Royal.” Himuro sighed, sporting that same forlorn look that Takao had. Oh no.

“Tatsuya, you fell for one of them didn’t you.” Himuro seemed to be about to come up with some lame excuse, but a veritable giant interrupted them. A man with purple hair and eyes was patiently waiting behind Himuro. Kagami gaped, the guy had to be 6’10 at least! At the moment, however, he was slouching, face almost level with Himuros’ but not quite.

He was wearing a long, lavender trench coat, a black shirt, and black slacks. He had steel-tipped boots on, which seemed a bit muddy. If Kagami looked closer, the mud would have appeared a bit too dark and red to be mud.

“Ah! Atsushi. Is it lunchtime already?” Himuro checked a fancy garnet watch on his wrist, looking confused. The tall man sighed, shaking his head.

“You just ran off somewhere right when I was going to ask you to make me a snack.” In a rapid mood change, the tall Alpha looked at Kagami and narrowed his eyes. Just when Kagami thought he was going to be attacked, the purple man relaxed.

“Oh. You must be Muro-chins’ brother. Hi, Muro-chins’ brother. Are you good at cooking too?” As though exhausted by the mere words, the tall, purple man draped himself over Himuro, and if Kagami didn’t know better, he would have believed that it was just that. But Himuro disliked touch, only really accepting it from Kagami so long as they’d known each other. Which meant that Himuro and the Head Captain were close.

“I can cook, and while I can’t make anything right now, I made some candies a couple of days ago. Here, have a whole bag. Lots of different flavors, so could you let me and Tatsuya talk?” Murasakibara nodded, but didn’t go far. Himuro sighed and leaned against the wall looking relieved.

“Thanks, Taiga. I was really drawing a blank on what to make for his snack, I owe you one. Now yes, I might have a teensy weensy crush on Atsushi, but that’s just because he’s my type! You know, tall, big hands, long hair, gorgeous eyes…” Himuro sighed, trailing off. Kagami snorted, teensy weensy crush my ass!

“Uh-huh. Next, your gonna say ‘Purple hair, regularly lies on top of me, calls me Muro-chin’. Face it Tatsuya, you like him. And he probably likes you! Make a move!” Kagami encouraged. Himuro sighed, eyes drooping.

“It just, I don’t think it’ll work. Whatever! We’ll talk more tonight. I was thinking about cooking some porterhouse steak, but we need to pop by the market first. You down?” Himuro asked.

“Sure, got nothing better to do. Oh, is uh, Murasakibara coming with us?” The tall Alpha was hovering over Himuro, slowly munching on the candy. As in, he was chewing the hard candy and then swallowing. Like chips.

“Yeah. He kind of follows me everywhere. It’s kind of like having a very tall, very dominating Alpha. Sometimes he just growls at me and I just have to guess what it means, kind of like how when babies cry it can mean multiple things. It’s either ‘feed me’, ‘hug me’, or ‘purr at me’. Yes, he sometimes stops growling when I purr at him, do not look into that.” Kagami wagged his eyebrows at Himuro, making the older Beta roll his eyes.

Himuro turned to Murasakibara. “Atsushi, would you mind if we went to the market real quick? Just for a couple of moments to pick up some steaks for lunch.” Murasakibara pouted, poking Himuro’s cheek.

“If that’s for lunch, then what’s for dinner?” Himuro swatted his hand away, a wide smile on his face.

“Remember? This morning you asked me to make hot pot, and after hot pot, you usually get sleepy so I thought I’d make it for dinner. I’ll even rub your shoulders afterward too. Sound good?” Kagami snorted, waggling his eyebrows, and Himuro rolled his eyes at him.

“Mmmm. Okay. Let’s go Muro-chin, Muro-chin’s brother.” Murasakibara drawled lazily. A few moments later, they stood outside the deli, which was surprisingly nearly empty. Murasakibara was standing a ways off, admiring the children’s candy stall, and Himuro and Kagami stood to wait for their steaks to be cut. It should have been just that, but a couple of large, bulky Alphas approached the two. The first spoke.

“Hey, little mama. What’s a cute little thing like you doing out here?” Kagami knew fully well that the comment was directed at Himuro, but chose to look ahead and wait. Himuro did not respond. The second Alpha snorted, going closer into Himuro’s personal space.

“Come on Beta, we asked you a question. Just a small answer would do, don’t be a bitch.” Kagami was about to turn and tear this guy a new one, but Himuro made a small gesture, a grave expression on his face. Kagami side-eyed the Alphas and saw at least four visible knives. These guys were armed, and that made things a bit more complicated. For a brief moment, Kagami wished Aomine were here to fight with him.

The first Alpha started getting frustrated and grabbed Himuros’ arm.

“Do we need to teach you a lesson? We’re Alphas, or is your nose as broken as your brain?” He jeered, shaking Himuro a bit. Before Kagami could react, a large hand closed around the first Alphas neck and squeezed. Murasakibara shook the guy a couple of times and threw him to the side, where he lay unmoving. With a dangerous expression on his face, he turned to the second Alpha.

A blur of blue and black jumped from the stall opposing the deli, tackling the second Alpha before Murasakibara could get to him. Aomine rose off the ground and shifted his hands. Clawed fingers made their way into the second Alphas skin and tore, causing Himuro, Kagami, and a few people nearby to look away. Once both familiar Alphas were done, they made their way over to the two brothers.

“Muro-chin, are you all right? Is your arm hurt?” Without waiting for an answer, Murasakibara pushed up Himuros’ sleeve and inspected the place where the Alpha had grabbed. Then, without warning, Murasakibara tore the shirt off and threw it in a nearby trash bin, and wrapped the shirtless Beta in his coat. Himuro was shaking, and simply tugged the coat tighter around himself.

Meanwhile, Aomine ran to Kagami and immediately started fussing.

“Did he touch you too? Are you hurt? Why didn’t you do something sooner? Why are you even in the market?” Before he could continue the barrage, Kagami stopped him.

“Those guys were only after Himuro, not me. I was going to do something, but I hesitated since they both had a lot of knives. When he grabbed Tatsuya, I was going to do something, but then you guys showed up. Stop worrying.” Just to convince the worried Alpha he was fine, Kagami pinched his tanned cheek and baby talked at him until Aomine swatted him off.  
“Tatsuya, let’s grab the steaks and go. No reason to stick around here.” Himuro nodded, still looking shaken, and reached for the steaks on the counter. Murasakibara swiftly picked them up before Himuro could get them, and then herded the four men out of the market. Aomine turned to Kagami, looking excited.

“So while I was napping, I came up with an idea. What if we make custom moves just for when we’re fighting together? Like we’ll be fighting with swords, and then you or I will make a sound and then we’ll throw our swords and shift!” Aomine said, a little louder than necessary. Kagami snorted, trying to hide just how excited he was.

“That sounds cool! And like, one of us could be using a sword and the other will be shifted, and like, we could shift our eyes for better vision while using bows, and for the sword, we could shift just the palm of our hand for better grip!” Aomine nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin on his face.

Kagami’s brain stopped for a moment, looking at the man across from him. Took a moment to admire the deep-set eyes, lined with laugh lines and shining a deep dark blue, reminiscent of the bottom of the ocean. Thin lips and a strong jaw, complimented with not-too-short blue hair that shined with the sun. Broad shoulders led into muscled arms, toned to battle-ready perfection, strong, lean legs built with so much speed it dazzled.

Aomine wasn’t wearing anything special, the same thick-soled shoes from yesterday, a loose black tank top and baggy black shorts that hung off his hips. Aomine had faint scars on his arms, nothing more than nicks from swords that couldn’t hope to touch him. That wild grin he sported when around Kagami topped off the look, a dangerous man with dangerous skills who fawned over skills like a child fawns over toys.

“Hey,” Aomine started, breaking Kagami out of his revelry, “Do you want to spar somewhere else tomorrow? I know this cool clearing in the forest behind the palace and I think it would be a cool place to practice. It’s got a lake next to it too, so we could take a swim afterward.” Aomine buzzed with excitement, and Kagami couldn’t help but mirror him.

“It sounds great! Maybe take a few laps around that lake, see who’s faster, ay?” Kagami teased, poking Aomine’s arm.

“Oh, we’ll see alright. I bet I’ll get to see a lot too, a pretty Beta completely naked swimming in front of me? Yes please!” Aomine leered at Kagami, earning a smack on the arm. Kagami tried to hide his blush, turning away just slightly.

“I beat a lot of Betas and Omegas like to hang around you with that attitude. I’ll bet you’d even bring up a porn star while your on a date with someone who is far too good for you.” Aomine squawked, and play growled at Kagami, an invite to play a game. Kagami growled back, and soon enough, they were poking and tickling each other at the palace and laughing maniacally in between growls. 

When they finally broke apart, Kagami reverted to purring instead of growling, trilling in enjoyment. Aomine seemed surprised for a moment, and then began purring too, diving back in to try and tickle Kagami into surrender. Kagami retaliated by digging his fingers into Aomine’s ribs, laughing at the little yelp the man let out. Himuro cleared his throat loudly getting their attention before they crashed into the kitchen door.

“If you two love birds are done, would you mind setting the table?” Kagami glared at Himuro, who didn’t look one bit guilty for his ‘love birds’ comment. Aomine just huffed and took a few plates and walked into a dining room. Kagami followed him with forks, knives, and cups, and for a moment they worked at the table. Kagami wandered into the kitchen again, aiming to help Himuro with the food, Aomine trailing after him.

“Hey, Tatsuya, how you doing? Those guys really rattled you.” Kagami asked. Himuro sighed, shaking his head.

“How did they not rattle you? You saw that they were armed, you knew they were Alphas, and yet when he grabbed my arm, you were still about to put your life in danger and take them on!” Himuros’ eyes were wide, confusion evident on his face. Kagami thought for a moment.

“Well, Tatsuya, I’ve always wanted to be a soldier, fight good people in good fights. The prospect of getting hurt is nothing, especially since I was probably stronger than those guys. I’m evenly matched with Aomine in hand to hand, so I would have been fine.” This answer didn’t seem to satisfy Himuro, who simply shook his head again.

“I’ll never understand you, but so long as you’re safe and happy. You here that Aomine? I know you’re eavesdropping! Better make sure my little bro’s always safe and happy or else I’m carving you up and feeding you to Atsushi, ya hear?” Himuro wagged a knife at Aomine, who looked properly terrified. Adding to the effect, Murasakibara licked his lips, causing Aomine to get up from his place at the table and stand by Kagami.

Aomine looked over Kagami’s shoulder, no doubt curious, but not wanting to intrude on personal space now that they weren’t playing. Kagami huffed, reaching behind him and wrapping Aomine’s arms around his waist. Even if it was an intimate position, Aomine was touch starved, so exceptions could be made. Plus, Aomine both smelled and looked gorgeous, as Kagami kept noticing more and more.

Aomine sighed against Kagami’s back, relaxing almost completely. Himuro smirked next to Kagami, and the tall Beta nearly smacked his brother, jeopardizing the onions he was chopping. Murasakibara was patiently waiting at the table, occasionally coming over to remark on how good it smelled. Kagami thought those remarks were just excuses for the Alpha to check up on Himuro.

As for Aomine, his skin was burning. Kagami was right in his guess, to say that he was touch starved, and it burned. It burned, but it warmed cold skin too, so Aomine stayed glued to Kagami. Slowly, as the minutes ticked by and their lunch got cooked, the burn faded, if only a little bit. Maybe, just maybe, this would be it. Kagami cooking, Aomine hugging his back, in a quiet and blissful moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've felt super off these past two days, but It's out! Our fave yellow boi and his beautiful captain are next!


	6. The Wolf and The Loyal Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise: @-@
> 
> Kasamatsu: Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck

After eating dinner, Kagami and Aomine wandered off again. Aomine had suggested that they take a tour of the castle, but about four minutes out of the dining room, Aomine had begun wandering aimlessly, and Kagami, amused, followed without a word. He had been about to say something, but Aomine sometimes growled to himself at seemingly nothing, and Kagami found it adorable.

After a few more moments of Aomine growling to himself, they arrived at the training grounds. It looked much the same as yesterday, except the soldiers were just now getting into the formation for their katas. Or, they were trying to. The person who had been leading the katas yesterday was currently dealing with a tall, blond man. As Kagami and Aomine drew closer, Kagami managed to hear the tail end of what the blond man was saying.

“But Sen~pai! These are so simple! And you’ve done them, like, a million times. It would, frankly, be sad if they couldn’t do it on their own by now! Just let them do it on their own and spar with me!” The man - Alpha now that Kagami was close enough to smell him - seemed about to go on, but the Beta he was talking to was done listening.

The Beta’s eyebrow twitched, and then he delivered a swift jab to the ribs, immediately making the Alpha double over and wheeze. He took a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a few moments, the Beta turned back to the Alpha. He seemed startled for a moment, but forged ahead.

“Kise, if you wait until after this is done, I’ll spar with you all night if you want, but please, let me spend this time with the unit.” He said, hands clasped in front of him. The Alpha, Kise, nodded, and sulked off. As soon as he saw Aomine, he lit up and practically pounced on the panther.

“Aominecchi!! What’re you doing here?” Aomine smacked Kise on the forehead before he finished the tackle, and held Kise there at arm’s length. The panther sighed, looking annoyed.

“I came here to nap and find you here bothering the lovely General Commander. Wow, Kise, I gotta tell you, I care about the people under me! I’m the High Corporal, he’s the General Commander, it only makes sense that I should keep our Head Diplomat away from the General Commander. Dear General Commander, would you like me to distract the Head Diplomat?” Kagami almost could have believed Aomine was sincere, but that whole spiel was said with a shit-eating grin on his face.

The General Commander seemed about to sigh, but instead bowed.

“Thank you, High Corporal. However, it will be only necessary to distract him until the sun fully sets. If he may do anything to offend you, I will take full responsibility.” Kagami, for one, was impressed. The General Corporal had said it with a great air of dignity, like those noble knights in fairy tails. Aomine snorted and began dragging Kise off. 

Ah. It clicked. Bright blond hair and eyes, horrible personality, strong Alpha smell. Kise was a Royal, and the General Corporal was the poor schmuck stuck with babysitting him. Aomine took Kise to a nearby bench, and Kagami went forward to greet the General Commander. He took notice and extended a hand.

“Hello. I am General Commander Kasamatsu Yukio. I saw you in the company of the High Corporal. What brings you to the training grounds?” While he was the height of courtesy, Kagami doubted this was the real General Commander, and Kagami loathed politics. He beamed at the Betal, taking the extended hand.

“I am Kagami Taiga, the Personal Sparring Partner to the High Corporal. It’s hard to deal with them, yeah? But hey, they’re a fun bunch!” Kagami grinned, and for a moment it seemed that Kasamatsu melted. Kagami knew that look. He’d seen it on Takao this morning. That urge to let out seven years’ worth of tea. But Kasamatsu quickly pulled himself back together, taking a deep breath.

“Indeed, they are pleasant, as long as you are patient with them. If you would please wait until after sunset, then I will be more free to talk.” He was about to turn away, but Kagami kept a firm grip on his hand.

“You know Takao?” Kasamatsu nodded, “Well, me, Takao, and Himuro are going to get together tonight and talk for a bit. Wanna join?” Kasamatsu took a deep breath and nodded. Before Kagami could say more, he was shooed off toward Aomine and Kise. Aomine was currently sitting on Kise, who was squirming on the ground.

“Hey Kagami. Recruit another Beta to your pack? Ya know, if you don’t get any Alphas or Omegas, this really is going to be a bachelor pack of Betas. Not to be an asshole, but with Betas as Omega-looking as Himuro and Takao, you’re going to have to keep a pretty close eye on them.” Ignoring the fact that Aomine just ‘not-to-be-an-asshole’d him, Kagami nodded in thought. Kise spoke up from the ground.

“Yeah! It’s actually scientifically proven that unmated Alphas are more attracted to Betas or Omegas in packs! I’ve only managed to see Himuro and Takao once each, but I can objectively see that they are beautiful. I need to say ‘objectively’ because Midorimecchi and Murasakibarecchi are both crazy possessive and would skin me alive if they knew that I called them pretty.” Aomine laughed, patting Kise on the shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah, no more creepy facts. Anyway, what should we do to pass the time?” Aomine asked. Kagami was about to sit down on the ground, but Aomine patted his laps and wagged his eyebrows in Kise’s direction. Kagami chuckled quietly, sitting on Aomine’s lap and laughing as Kise squealed under their combined weight. After all, two men who are about 210 pounds? Hell.

“Well, I’ve heard a lot of stories today, I suppose one more from a slightly flattened Alpha won’t hurt. So Kise, give us the beans on your relationship with Kasamatsu.” Kise wheezed for them to get off, and a moment later they were laying in the shade listening to Kise.

“Okay, so we met a couple of years ago. Akashi was on my case about getting in more training, so I came here and, naturally, I wanted to start leading the training. Out of nowhere, I get kicked in the back. Hard. I fall down, all of a sudden I’m getting yelled at about ‘respecting my elders’ and ‘the disrespect’ and all of that. Anyway, I turn around, and I’m just hit with what I saw.” Something changed in Kise.

“He was just so… great. Normally, when people yelled at me, it was because they don’t recognize who I am, and they usually start groveling after that.” Kagami could have imagined it, but Kise’s happy demeanor faded and a wolf seemed to take its place. “But he used my name. He told me off, and I just. The sun was setting, and it made his blue eyes look like they glittered, and his black hair was shining… and his scent was so strong. He was all sweaty from the days training, and his scent was all over the place because he’d been teaching everyone a new defensive move. I just… fell in love.” The sweat words did not mask the wolf, no not at all.

“So I just… Stuck around. I came to training every day when he asked me to, I did the katas, I respected my elders in front of him. And he didn’t gossip when I made mistakes. You know, if I asked, he really would stay here all night with me. But I really tested his patience today, so I’ll let him go with you.” Kise’s eyes were oddly bright, face completely blank. A face of a wolf, and Kagami had no intention of letting that slide. He flopped his hand into Kise’s stomach.

“Keep your ugly down Kise. If you ever hurt Kasamatsu, I’ll filet you. I have claws, and fangs. You’ll be my dinner.” Something flashed in Kise, like a challenge. A challenge to try and pry him away from Kasamatsu, but Kagami had no fear to give the wolf. Kasamatsu was capable of handling himself, especially if the wolf did not already have its prey. Said wolf simply shook off the interaction and continued his story.

“So he gave me attention. I managed to coax him into daily dinners, and to let me escort him home at night. Eventually, I got into a disagreement with the Alpha I boarded with in the barracks, and Yukio solved it by having me room with him instead. Aomine, I can barely sleep at night. I just stay alert all night, watching the doors, watching the windows, watching him. But those were some of the most restful hours of my life.” Kise sighed, and Aomine seemed to agree with whatever point Kise made.

“Yeah, I can see that. Maybe, since your instincts are going haywire all day, seeing him sleeping like that is restful? But a better question is, how do you know that Kasamatsu doesn’t know you watch him?” Aomine’s eyes had the same quality of Kise’s. darkly glowing, dangerous eyes. Kise raised an eyebrow, inviting Aomine to go on.

“Kasamatsu Yukio is the General Commander. I gave him that position myself, Kise. You remember the test I had them perform, how they had to beat me in all forms of combat. He did it. Just barely, Kagami, don’t start with that. He’s not stupid Kise. He would have noticed. Now, what’re you going to do with that?” Aomine reached over Kise to smack Kagami on the arm, keeping him from pointing and laughing like a five-year-old.

Kise furrowed his brows for a moment. “So, what you’re saying is that Senpai probably does know, and has done nothing about it?” Aomine nodded, and the two Royals lay there, deep in thought. Kagami thought about bringing up the third option that Kasamatsu probably hasn’t said anything for fear of his job, but put that thought aside. If Kise couldn’t figure it out, then he didn’t deserve to know.

A few moments later, the General Commander made his way over to the three. Kise immediately jumped up to greet him.

“Sorry about today, Senpai. I don’t need you to stay longer. Go to Kagami’s thing.” Kise seemed much more harmless than five seconds ago, when he was calmly theorizing about whether or not Kasamatsu knew he was a creep. Kasamatsu only sighed, shaking his head. Kagami felt bad. The poor guy had sweat dripping from his hair, down his back, and he looked exhausted.

“No, Kise, it’s alright. I have the whole day tomorrow to spend with you.” Kasamatsu turned to Kagami, extending a hand.

“Takao sent a message during the katas. The sun has set, so he will be getting off of work soon. I believe it is close to the allotted time?” Kagami nodded, getting up and dusting himself off.

“There is also someone I think should also be apart of this meeting. I am heading to the showers, and she should be there by now. Are you willing to accompany me?” Kasamatsu asked. 

“Sure. Plus, I think that we’ll see some of the others there too.” As they walked away, Kise turned to Aomine. While the two were talking, they’d heard a call. A call Kagami heard once before, falling quietly from the lips of the strongest Alpha in the region. Akashi had summoned them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short, holidays and all that. I'm looking forward to the next chapter!


	7. The Eagles in The Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cliff Hanger last time,,, so very sorry
> 
> I kind of pushed this chapter out a bit, but worry not! We'll see some more detail with the people in this chapter later on, I just wanted to introduce these guys! Anyway:
> 
> Kagami: Talking
> 
> Kasamatsu, under his breath: I'm going to the showers, see ya there.
> 
> Kagami: Continues talking

Just as Kagami and Kasamatsu reached the baths, they heard a fast tapping behind them. The two Betas turned around, greeting the newcomer. Kasamatsu stepped forward, a small smile on his face.

“There you are, Riko. I was beginning to think that I’d need to go looking. Did Takao already get to you?” The woman, Riko, nodded, laughing heartily.

“Poor guy was practically bouncing out of his boots. I assume you aren’t here for a training regimen?” She said. Kasamatsu shook his head, gesturing to Kagami.

“This guy over here has plans to pull together a pack of people who regularly hang around the Generation of Royals. I figured you’d fit the bill.” Riko nodded, and extended a hand to Kagami.

“I’m Aida Riko, just Riko for you, and I’m the Personal Trainer to the entire  _ fu~cking  _ army. If ya ever need a specialized schedule, then I’m your Beta! As for the Generation of Assholes, the asshole I hang around with is Momoi Satsuki, the Head of Intelligence.” Kagami chuckled heartily, already endeared to her. She had rough, callused hands, and they held a controlled kind of strength.

“So you got the spy, huh? That must be a special kind of a pain in the ass.” Kagami remarked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe. Sometimes she gets me things I need that I didn’t even know I needed. She knows I need those things because she’s always spying on my room in the palace. It gets embarrassing when she leaves food and water when I’m in heat, but I suppose it could be worse.” She gave that oh-so-familiar sigh that Kagami had been hearing all day. The sigh that said ‘I’d rather she not, but what can I really do?’. Before they could continue their conversation, anther Beta and Alpha approached them.

“Hey, Riko, is this the guy Takao was ranting about earlier?” A gruff Beta asked. He had dark hair, and glasses placed on his nose. Behind him was a rather puppy-like, giant Alpha with lighter hair and a resting innocent face. The Alpha seemed to be leaning slightly over the Beta in front of him, but their difference in height made it look fairly natural. Kagami got the sense that they had both known each other for a very long time. Riko nodded, and Kagami extended a hand.

“My name is Kagami Taiga, Personal Sparring Partner to the High Corporal. Takao really got around, huh? It took me most of the day to get here!” The gruff Beta huffed out a laugh, and the Alpha behind him chuckled quietly as well.

“I’m Hyuuga Junpei,” the Beta began, “And this is Kiyoshi Teppei. We are co-leaders of the Seirin Branch.” Kagami nodded, figuring if Hyuuga managed to sound that proud of it, it was probably something special. 

“As for Takao, he has eyes and ears everywhere. If you need to know something, you go to Takao to figure it out. If there is a big uproar in the palace, then chances are only Takao knows why. It’s especially useful for the Royal he hangs around with. If a soldier has been neglecting to do something, either for mental health or an injury that no one knows about, then Takao tells Midorima and Midorima takes care of it.” Kagami nodded, feeling an acute sense of relief that Takao was on his side.

“Yeah. I feel like when you hang out with extraordinary people like the Royals, you yourself have to be a little extraordinary just to keep up. Speaking of Takao, would you like to join the pack? I’d lead, so don’t get any ideas.” Kagami teased, wagging a finger at Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi simply laughed heartily, shaking his head.

“I don’t like to lead, Kagami, so don’t worry. If I could get away with it, I wouldn’t even be a co-leader. Jun is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. However, I was under the impression that this pack was for people who regularly hang around the Royals exclusively. Other than the occasional visit from Kuroko, and the general exposure to Momoi when we accompany Riko, we don’t know any Royals personally.” Before Kagami could say anything to that, Hyuuga jumped in.

“Oh, cut the crap Kiyoshi. You see, Kagami, Kiyoshi is one of the Uncrowned Generals. He is entirely competent in what he does, be it leading a branch of an army, or going to war. While it is true that left to his own devices he would not choose to lead, and that he tends to give horrible advice fairly often, he has the air of a Royal. And he likes to hide that fact!” Hyuuga punctuated his little speech with a friendly smack to Kiyoshi’s shoulder. Kagami laughed, pleased.

The Uncrowned Generals were a group of individuals who did not have the rights to the ruling power but were still key parts of the kingdom. They had been raised alongside the Royals, and were known to be just as powerful. They had become Uncrowned Generals when they supported the Royals through a nasty rebellion, even though they were as wealthy as the poorest man, and were constantly overshadowed by their childhood friends. However, during their time of need, the Uncrowned Generals gladly put their battle prowess and endless love behind the Royals. The Royals then acknowledged that they deserved more than struggling in the slums of their kingdom, and offered to make the Uncrowned Generals into Royals. However, they refused, stating that they wished for the title of ‘Uncrowned General’ to symbolize that even if every official in the palace turned their backs on the Royals, they would still have their Uncrowned Generals to rely on.

Being an Uncrowned General also had a lot of perks. Since they were ‘Uncrowned’ they did not need to file the paperwork other generals dealt with. They also tended to stay close to the round rather than go for high positions, which lead to the better leading of the general troops, as well as boosting the morale of the general populace, which lead to a lot of brownie points amongst the townsfolk. Many shops offered free wares to them, and they easily got information out of civilians simply by asking, making a lot of government work easy. That is, if you were close enough friends with one of the Uncrowned Generals to get them to do anything for you. They were infamous for being unmovable objects when it came to their reluctance to interfere.

Kiyoshi just laughed it off, clapping a hand on Hyuuga’s shoulder. “Jun, I think you just like to show off your Alpha. Please, continue to do so, it does wonders for my ego.” Hyuuga flushed all the way down to his chest, giving another half-hearted smack to his Alphas shoulder. Looking closer, Kagami could see faint scars at the juncture of Hyuugas neck, the telltale mating mark. Even though the wound was healed and scarred over, Kagami could tell that it was once a fierce-looking bite. Kagami distantly wondered if Kiyoshi had let Hyuuga mark him back, he seemed like the type, but while Hyuuga was hel[fully wearing a tank top, Kiyoshi was not so helpful.

“It would be nice to have a mated couple in our ranks, and you guys already know Takao, so with a little quality time, I think we can really hit it off. We’re about to go take a quick bath right now, and then we’re heading to Takao’s palace residence to see if this will all work out. You are fully welcome to join, but we’re running a little late so we need to go quickly.” Hyuuga and Kiyoshi both nodded their assent, and Kagami told them where to meet. As the two began walking away, presumably to go to the meetup place, something occurred to Kagami, and he turned to Riko.

“Hey, where  _ is _ Momoi? The other Royals weren’t far from the others at any given point in time, and I can’t imagine Momoi would be any different.” He said. Riko shrugged, looking a little worried.

“Well, we were talking, and all of a sudden she freezes up and says she needs to go. I don’t really like to keep her from doing things, but it kind of worried me. She usually never leaves my side in that much of a rush, but I suppose I’ll see her before the day is done.” Riko sighed, looking put out that her Royals was taken away so early, and Kagami felt bad. But it was suspicious, considering Aomine and Kise had taken off much in the same fashion. Kagami put it out of his mind and went into the showers where Kasamatsu had waited for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wassup yall! I've been thinking about adding some OC's to Generation of Royals from a different fic. It's still in the Knb fandom, but with KagaKuro as the main pairing. I would give these OC's a proper introduction and everything, and you won't need to read the other fic to understand them, but I want to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Here is the story where they will be from! https://archiveofourown.org/series/376820
> 
> Masaomi, Youji, Hinami, and Shiori in particular! Please let me know how you feel about this!!!
> 
> As always, comment! It means the world to me, and motivates me to write faster! Scream! Shout! Call Aomine a douche! It's great!!!!


	8. The beginning of an era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are thwarted, but not forever.

Something Kagami ought to have anticipated was that the Royals stuck to their Normal People like glue. The reason this came to Kagami’s attention at all was that he now had four Alphas who seemed adamant about sticking around the Betas and no intention of letting them chat in private. Just when Kagami thought to take matters into his own hands and attack them until they left, Kise surprisingly (or rather, unsurprisingly) came up with a solution.  
  
“Kagamicci~ It would be better if we stayed to hear out what’s going on so we can decide if we’re going to stay, right?” Kagami didn’t believe that Kise had pure intentions for a single moment, but Kasamatsu didn’t seem suspicious, so he let it slide. Now, however, the Alphas presence had pretty much silenced the Betas, likely unwilling to speak freely around the Royals for fear of consequences. The snacks had been distributed in relative silence, and they were now sitting on the soft carpet- rather the Betas were sitting and the Royals were sprawled on top of them. The exception was Kiyoshi, who for all the world looked like someone was telling the funniest joke ever. Frustrated, Kagami nudged Takao, hoping the Beta’s natural carefree attitude would break the awkward silence.

“So…” Takao said, as though he was trying to find a conversation starter, “Anyone been down to that tattoo shop near south-town? They have temporary tattoos, and I got one a couple days ago, check it out.” Which prompted Takao to immediately shuck his pants off, revealing a rather impressive hawk tattoo on his thigh, and making the Royals look away so quickly Kagami was surprised their necks didn't snap. Kagami felt a rush of pride and affection for the Beta, giving a light complement to the tattoo as the other Betas moved cooed over it. 

“Oh! I got one too the other day!" Himuro said, then not only took off his pants, but also tossed aside his underwear and shirt, revealing a silvery-purple thread that snaked all across his body. Himuro’s mischievous face gave it away to Kagami, so it wasn’t as jarring as when Takao did it, but the Royals weren’t expecting it. Murasakibara glared at the rest of the Royals whenever their eyes strayed anywhere near the now naked Beta, who was now making a point of strutting around and twirling this way and that to show off his tattoo. Takao at some point had  _ also _ lost his shirt and underwear, and going by the look in Takao’s eye, this was a direction they would be going in for a while. With that thought, Kagami got up, a broad smirk spread across his face.

“Your temporary tats are nice and all, but I’ve got permanent ink.” He threw off his clothes, half-heartedly trying to hit Aomine in the face, revealing a slightly faded tiger tattoo that rested on his shoulder. It was a small doodle of a tiger sleeping next to a tree, a rather cute tattoo compared to the others, but Kagami loved it all the same. He quickly shoved off his pants, revealing another cute tiger doodle on his thigh, leaving himself completely naked. After the appropriate ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ was done with, Riko stood.

“I’m sure this will be a surprise to anyone but Momoi,” She began, “But I, too, have permanent tattoos.” She then threw off the sundress she’d worn, as well as her bra and underwear, showcasing a beautiful depiction of a sakura tree painted on her stomach. Kagami cooed and watched as Riko, completely naked, approached a certain pink-haired royal. Riko sat on her knees right in front of Momoi, a coy expression on her face, but instead of Momoi’s eyes going to, say, any place on her lower body that was now exposed, her eyes went straight to Riko’s ears. Kagami followed her gaze, and saw that Riko’s ears were a deep red, betraying her flirtatious demeanor. Kagami barely had time to wonder why exactly she was doing this before Riko got more daring, leaning forwards a bit, and saying in a cheerful voice,

“Ne~ Satsuki-chan, do  _ you  _ like my tattoo?” Momoi blushed faintly, nodding. Riko made a few gestures in the vague direction of Takao, who caught on to whatever she conveyed immediately. Takao got up, posed, and then promptly tackled Midorima. To Midorima’s credit, he did not blush, in fact he didn’t really react at all, and simply looked at Takao. Takao grinned up at Midorima, for all the world looking like a happy little crab. Then Takao pulled a page out of the Old Village Omega book, much to Kagami’s horrified amusement, and said possibly the worst thing he’d ever heard.

“Soo~ Shin-chan… Am I a healthy Beta? Are the hips wide and roomy? Still beautiful and active?” Kagami couldn’t help it, and neither could Aomine. Tiger and Panther both began emitting a screeching sound, something akin to laughter, horrified screaming, and a dying cat. Kagami was laugh screaming so hard he couldn’t breathe, desperately holding onto Aomine’s shoulder to try and stave off the pain from his aching ribs. Just when he felt abs coming in from the onslaught of horrified guffaws, Kagami managed to calm down and released his death grip on Aomine’s shoulder. Said panther had taken to putting his full body weight onto Kagami, likely to keep himself from collapsing onto the floor.

Takao, luckily or unluckily, had ignored them for the most part, and was waiting for Midorima to answer. Midorima, in a display of gold ol’ fashion Alpha manners was not blushing, groping, or otherwise making a very awkward situation more awkward, but instead continued on unphased. Kagami put it up to him being a doctor, but gave him Respect Points all the same.

“I have already given you your checkup for this month Takao. You know my answer.” Midorima responded evenly, not at all as amused at the statement as the two big cats of the room were. Kagami had stared back and forth between Takao and Midorima, not quite believing what he was hearing, and Aomine was now silently convulsing at his side. But Midorima wasn’t done.

“And, well, as for your beauty… you are the most stunning person i’ve ever seen. You astound me with your existence every day, and I couldn’t ever ask you for more than what you have already blessed me with.” Takao was smiling softly, and Kagami almost looked away at the intimate scene, but didn’t get the chance to before Aomine yelled at them to get a room. Sighing in relief, both from the onslaught of laughter that finally ceased and the dispelling of a very touching yet awkward situation, Kagami turned his gaze to Tatsuya, who had begun to move. Without a word, the stunning Beta settled onto Murasakibara’s lap, cuddling into the Alpha’s chest, and began talking in low tones. One by one, the Betas all got up and settled near or on their respective Pains In The Ass, until the only pair left were Hyuuga and Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi was smiling warmly at Hyuuga, who was blushing up to his ears. The Beta was half heartedly glaring at Kiyoshi, until finally he crawled into his Alphas lap. Kiyoshi received him with practiced ease, wrapping strong arms around his lanky mate, and while Midorima and Takao had the obvious beginnings of love, Kagami could see that Kiyoshi and Hyuuga had known each other for long enough for the buds of love to bloom into strong, resilient flowers. Without knowing what really came over him, Kagami threaded his hand through Aomine’s. 

  
  


The panther curled into the tiger, and something of a haze fell over his eyes, not unlike the shadowy glaze from the night before. Suddenly, Midorima shot up and whistled, loud and piercing, shocking Kagami out of his stupor. Everyone stared at the green haired Alpha, who had a pained expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, I really am, but if we stay here any longer, pack instincts are going to take over and we WILL bond. I don’t think any of the Alphas here, minus Kiyoshi, are able to continue this.” Midorima  _ looked _ sorry. His mouth was downturned from his usual scowl to a serious frown, and his eyes resembled those of a kicked puppy. All of the Royals reluctantly got up, giving their goodbyes to the Betas, and quietly left the room. Kagami dumbly looked around at the other room inhabitants, trying to process exactly what happened. Takao turned to Riko.

“So that failed.” He said, smile completely wiped off of his face. Riko just nodded glumly, eyes downcast. It all came down onto Kagami in a sweep.

“Wait, we were supposed to be sniping them?? Why didn’t you guys tell me?” Riko looked away, leaving Takao to answer.

“We didn’t think you’d agree. Taking a pack member from another pack forcibly isn’t exactly ethical. I was hoping Shin-chan wouldn’t notice.” Takao sighed, and laid back. Kiyoshi of all people spoke up.

“I think we were really close, but there’s one problem: We weren’t a pack. If we are able to form a pack now, and form bonds that will last, it will be all the easier to snipe them next time. It’s obvious we are compatible biologically, or else we wouldn’t have been able to go hazy at all with so many people who aren’t bound to one pack and many strong Alphas who  _ are. _ We were at risk of becoming Royals the same way they were at risk of becoming ours. Next time, if we are a pack, then we  _ can  _ take them.” Kiyoshi was a good leader, that was obvious, and his words were like magic over the group. Kagami crawled over to Takao and lightly scented him, which evolved into heavy petting, and Kiyoshi was right. 

  
They were going to be a very powerful pack, and they  _ would _ have their Alphas. Just a matter of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got hit by writers block, ready to jump back in! I have a tumblr (finally) https://www.tumblr.com/blog/pinepickled
> 
> Feel free to message me and we'll have a chat! As always, comment and I'll love you! This chapter is in honor of Wynstelle who asked me to update. I failed you. Anyway, enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed ^-^ Updates will be random, but I'll try to update once a week!
> 
> To make things more clear, Kagami and the GoM will be 23
> 
> Himuro, Riko, and the Uncrowned Generals are all 24
> 
> Kasamatsu is 25
> 
> Nijimura refers to the GoM as his kids b/c it annoys Akashi
> 
> If you want me to add any tags then just let me know! Suggestions are always welcome!


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